Thanks everyone for the comments and thinking about me - Bonnie, Brent, Bill, Kate! Another update: things are getting better very slowly, and sometimes they are getting worse. I went to work this week for the first time, and I managed two days. Tuesday I was fine, but on Wednesday I developed a bad anxiety attack on the tube (mainly, racing heart and frightened feelings). It took me 2-3 hours to recover from it after I made it to work. Yesterday and today, I've been having chest pains, especially when I'm walking. And I haven't had chest pains like this when I actually had clots in my lungs! It's frustrating, but docs are telling me it's going to take months to get back to normal. I had miltiple PEs in both lungs, and there has been damage, so maybe the pains I feel now are actually my lungs repairing.
I had a bunch of tests done last week, and all my blood tests were good this time. My oxygen saturation is at 98-99% which is very good. It was reassuring to hear all that, because I haven't been feeling all that great. I talked to PE specialist, and he said it's pretty normal to feel like this, and anxiety is common after PE, but he did not recommend to medicate it. He said it will only create a dependency on the drug. But he doesn't think I'm having any new clots, because all the test results are good. Also, he said I might be feeling worse than average person since I was very fit before my PE, and so a large chunk of my fitness has been taken away, therefore I'm noticing it more than someone who has not been so fit. He said that in time, I will be able to run again, and I should regain my lung function fully. He will run some breathing tests in a few more months to assess my lung function.
So, there is nothing to do but wait. Last weekend, I felt great, and so I thought I can go to work. But today, I really am not sure, maybe I pushed it too much. I want to go to my daughter's swim meet tomorrow (it's a big county championship), so I hope I'll be okay in the taxi on the way there. Then it's mostly sitting waiting for her to swim. I keep telling myself there is nothing new wrong with me, and if I feel short of breath, it's mostly from my nerves and anxiety. Still, I wish I didn't feel like this. |